Tag Archive | "Hydropower"

JSC RusHydro, Russia’s largest power-generating company, has announced that a new 640-MW hydropower unit has been commissioned at the company’s Sayano-Shushenskaya hydropower plant (HPP), in addition to the other 8 hydropower units in operation at the plant.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last week congratulated the participants during the opening ceremony through a videoconference with the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP, which is the country’s largest hydro plant. The videoconference was part of the President’s visit to the Nizhne-Bureyskaya HPP in the Amurskiy region, which is currently under construction.

With the additional unit, the combined operating production capacity is 5,120 MW. The Sayano-Shushenskaya HPPwill add two another units to the eight (units) in June and in October, thus hiking the total capacity to 6,400 MW.

“The reconstruction of the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydropower plant has reached its final stage. In 2014 the plant will be fully equipped with new up-to-date equipment with enhanced performance characteristics that meet all safety and reliability requirements. The useful life of the new units has been extended to 40 years and maximum efficiency now reaches 96.6 percent,” Jurij Popov, a senior RusHydro communications specialist, told RenewableEnergyWorld.com.The units will also improve energy and cavitation features,” he added. For example, the turbines will be fitted with a more efficient process protection system, which will automatically shut down the unit in case of any inadmissible deviations.

The total cost of reconstruction is estimated at $1.2 billion, and $94.1 million is to be disbursed for the works in 2014, according to Popov.

As a result, the plant’s unit 4 was decommissioned and reconstruction was ordered.

The necessary hydro power units for the plant are being manufactured by Power Machines, which is also responsible for equipment installation.

In 2013, power from the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP made up 20 percent of the total RusHydro generation, or 23.5 million kWh. For comparison, the hydropower plant produced 19.7 million kWh in 2011 and 19.09 million kWh in 2012.

“The generation capacity is expected to remain in the range of 25 million kWh after the reconstruction is completed,” Popov said.

Including the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP, the largest in Russia, RusHydro runs over 70 renewable energy facilities: 9 power stations in the Volga-Kama Cascade with a total installed capacity of more than 10,167 MW, including the 1330-MW Zeiskaya HPP – the first large-scale hydro-power plant in the Russian Far East, the 2, 010-MW Bureiskaya HPP, the 455-MW Novosibirsk HPP and dozens additional plants in the North Caucasus.

The 240 MW plant, comprised of four 60 MW units, is located on the river Jhelum near Uri, in the Baramulla district. It uses downstream water discharge from the 480 MW Uri I hydropower plant.

Synchronization of Uri II’s four Francis vertical turbines was completed in phases, Alstom said, with units 1 and 3 synchronized in September 2013 and unit 2 in November 2013. Unit 4 was synchronized in February 2014.

The project was challenging due to limited water availability during commissioning and difficult terrain, Alstom said.

Developer NHPC Ltd awarded Alstom the Uri II contract in 2007. The scope of work included turnkey execution of the electromechanical package comprising hydro turbines, generators and auxiliaries, according to the company.

Frederic Teyssedou, unit managing director of Alstom Hydro India, said, “Following the successful execution, this project is certainly amongst major references for Alstom Hydro in India. The team overcame the challenges presented by the project and worked relentlessly to stick to the timelines. The completion of the project and satisfaction of our customer is testimony of the efforts and commendable work done by the team.”